I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

The reason that butter can safely be left out on the counter is that its water content is too low for bacteria to grow. That is true even of unsalted butter, but the salt in salted butter further inhibits bacterial growth.

Depending on the room temperature, butter will last for about two weeks on the counter before the fat in it starts to go rancid, which affects its taste and odor but not its safety. It would take even longer than two weeks for the milk solids in butter to start to spoil (which would be detectable by a sour taste and odor, like spoiled milk). Stick it in the fridge occasionally overnight and you can put off rancidity much longer.

Not that I've ever had butter go rancid or know anyone who has. Unless you're a vegan, if you can't get through a stick of butter in two weeks ... well, you should eat more butter.

Pie Lady wrote:What do you do with an open container of tamarind concentrate? The ingredients are tamarind and water. It's so thin I feel like it should be refrigerated, but there's no instructions on the bottle. WW-LTH-D?

More than two years at normal room temperature. The only change that happens is in colour; when the TamarindConcentrate turns into a darker colour after prolonged storage, due to breakdown of natural sucrose inherent in the Tamarind Fruit.

Sunday evening I put an eggplant on the smoker after I pulled everything else off, poked some holes in it, and forgot it there. It's now Tuesday.

Edible or Deadible?

Leek

SAVING ONE DOG may not change the world, but it CHANGES THE WORLD for that one dog.American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog. http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

Say, can you give a baby goat milk ice cream? (Homemade, only the usual stuff like yolks, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, etc. No honey, I know.)

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

My kids, no problem. Some people hold off on introducing eggs for a while. I would always ask a parent before slipping a kid something, though.

Goat milk was actually used as a breastmilk substitute long before cow milk, and many people today think it is more digestible and appropriate for little ones. So if you are OK giving your child cow milk, then there is absolutely no reason to avoid goat milk.

“Assuredly it is a great accomplishment to be a novelist, but it is no mediocre glory to be a cook.” -- Alexandre Dumas

"I give you Chicago. It is no London and Harvard. It is not Paris and buttermilk. It is American in every chitling and sparerib. It is alive from tail to snout." -- H.L. Mencken

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

I used to get a certain brand of canned beans, but stopped because the underside of the lid had black funk on it. It looked as though someone burned the lid and sealed it anyway. These were cans of white beans, and the goo that comes with canned beans was blackish too, especially on the bottom. The beans looked fine. What is this? Is it just discoloration or are they unsafe to eat? I tossed 'em out of fear. I should have taken a photo. Has anyone else come across this?

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

I think it probably was harmless discoloration --- the food reacting with the tinplate or aluminum in a predictable way and one might even say intended way (acting as a sacrificial anode) produces black deposits. This can happen if the food comes into direct contact with the metal, which is to say, if there is some flaw in the coating of the inside of the can. The reaction happens on the underside of the top of the can (if I understand correctly) because it occurs in the presence of oxygen, so, where ther is some headroom in the can, or after you open it.

(Not so sure about what you describe as the black goo on the bottom, though ...)

This is from a website called foodsafetysite.com:

Black deposits on the underside of a lid are not a sign of spoilage. The underside of a canning lid is coated with enamel. If there are imperfections, such as tiny scratches or pinholes in the enamel, natural compounds in food can react with the metal in the lid to form harmless brown or black deposits.

But I stress it's NOT my area of expertise; I just know a little about chemistry. I yield to anyone more knowledgeable on the subject, and I suggest you do your own research to satisfy your doubts one way or the other.

So I bought some smoked whitefish Sunday. I was going to make hash for breakfasts, then got lazy. They're in vacuum-sealed packs, but there's no date. How long does this stuff last? Can I wait to cook it until this coming Sunday?

Thanks!

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

Pie Lady wrote:So I bought some smoked whitefish Sunday. I was going to make hash for breakfasts, then got lazy. They're in vacuum-sealed packs, but there's no date. How long does this stuff last? Can I wait to cook it until this coming Sunday?

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

Santander wrote:At this thread nears its five year mark, I would be very interested to know if there have ever been any adverse effects of the consumption here dared and recorded.

So: y'all dared. Did you win? In flavor, economy, and intestinal fortitude? How does one measure the success of the daring? Are expiration dates just a planned-obsolescence racket?

Here are the stats:

1. Pie Lady vs. 3-Day Yogurt, 04/30/10Winner: Pie LadyResults: I ate it with no ill effects. I did not vomit, thus hoppy2468 still owes me $10. Luckily I do not charge interest. Cilantro bet 9-1 on superpowers and as I now glow in the dark I guess that means someone owes him $90, although the payee is unclear. No one calls me Queen Acidophilus, unfortunately. Haley Joel Osment was delicious.

6. Pie Lady's Friend vs. Year-Old-Yogurt, 03/14/13Winner: Pie Lady's FriendResults: Still alive. Has 5 cats. Still have not received details though if I ask him today I'm sure he'll know.

6. Pie Lady vs. Sour Edamame, 04/01/13Winner: Pie LadyResults: Apparently sour edamame gives no ill effects except repelling the taste buds, although I sally forth and eat them anyway. I draw the line at eating edamame that's so old there's a gooey whitish ooze all over 'em. I know, elitist.

7. Pie Lady vs. Instant Coffee, 05/10/13Winner: UndeterminedResults: Couldn't tell if it would have tasted like shite within the confines of the sell-by date or not; I suffered no ill effects except another insult to the taste buds, which any day now may revolt.

8. Pie Lady vs. Butter, 11/18/13Winner: Pie Lady!!Results: Meaning of life confirmed, plans to jump in front of train due to unevenly buttered toast scrapped. The world is a better place.

9. Pie Lady vs. Tea, 02/21/14Winner: Pie LadyResults: No ill effects, and I'm still drinking it. There's no end to this tea.

10. Pie Lady vs. Almond Paste, 04/16/14Winner: Pie LadyResults: No ill effects. Can't remember what I made but there were no death reports.

12. Pie Lady vs. Goat Milk Ice Cream, 12/04/14Winner: No contestResults: The friend in question is the flaky type that always cancels at the last minute. I was on the way over with a Hoosier Mama pot pie when I got another cancellation, 2 stops from her house. So I ended up eating the pie and decided it wasn't worth the effort to make the ice cream. So the winner is technically me.

13. Pie Lady vs. Black Snot Beans, 04/24/14Winner: DrawResults: We suffered no ill effects after the first can, but after seeing this a few times in increasing amounts, I decided not to buy this brand anymore (despite the lower cost). Katie's description was helpful but it certainly didn't make me want to eat them, non-killy-status or nay.

Champ: Pie Lady, 6.

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

I bought a full-fat plain yogurt and lost it in the fridge. Ate it on April 3, 2015. It was dated Nov something 2014. It was fine, I suffered no ill effects.

Leek

SAVING ONE DOG may not change the world, but it CHANGES THE WORLD for that one dog.American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog. http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

For what it's worth, a few years ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with gas pains and swallowed a big swig of a kaopectate knockoff that I found in the cabinet under the sink in the dark. It tasted like excrement. Too late to spit it out, I had already swallowed it. Turning on the light, it was almost black and very syrupy. I checked the expiration date. It expired in 1992. Probably bought it in the 80's.

Eww, you win. My husband talked me into tossing some coconut water from November 2014 and now I think that was premature. Had I seen this story earlier! Glad you're still alive.

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli

While unpacking my groceries on Saturday morning, I set the meat on the counter while clearing space in the fridge and forgot to put it in; I didn't notice until this morning. It was a vacuum-sealed flatiron steak (also: Jewel now has vacuum-sealed flatiron steaks for sale!). While it was cool to the touch in the morning, I know my apartment gets pretty warm during the day, and it was sunny on Saturday.

I cooked it for dinner tonight; will update you in the morning as to my status.

"I've always thought pastrami was the most sensuous of the salted cured meats."

Independent George wrote:While unpacking my groceries on Saturday morning, I set the meat on the counter while clearing space in the fridge and forgot to put it in; I didn't notice until this morning. It was a vacuum-sealed flatiron steak (also: Jewel now has vacuum-sealed flatiron steaks for sale!). While it was cool to the touch in the morning, I know my apartment gets pretty warm during the day, and it was sunny on Saturday.

I cooked it for dinner tonight; will update you in the morning as to my status.

I don't think I'd have eaten it: remember that some of the nastier bacteria such as Botulin do not require oxygen, and their toxin survives heating.

I hope you're well.

What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason LoveThere is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy StomachIn the world of apples, Pink Lady runs the whorehouse. ~ James Napoli